MONGST the manifold duties that Almighty
God requireth of his faithful servants the true Christians, by the which he
would that both his name should be glorified and the certainty of their
vocation declared, there is none that is either more acceptable unto him or
more profitable for them, than are the works of mercy and pity showed upon the
poor which be afflicted with any kind of misery.And yet this notwithstanding, such is the slothful
sluggishness of our dull nature to that which is good and godly, that we are
almost in nothing more negligent and less careful than we are therein.It is therefore a very necessary thing
that God's people should awake their sleepy minds and consider their duty on
this behalf.And meet it is that
all true Christians should desirously seek and learn what God by his holy Word
doth herein require of them, that first knowing their duty (whereof many by their
slackness seem to be very ignorant), they may afterwards diligently endeavour
to perform the same.By the which
both the godly charitable persons may be encouraged to go forwards and continue
in their merciful deeds of almsgiving to the poor, and also such as hitherto
have either neglected or contemned it, may yet now at length (when they shall
hear how much it appertaineth to them) advisedly consider it and virtuously
apply themselves thereunto.

And to the intent that everyone of you
may the better understand that which is taught and also easilier bear away, and
so take more fruit of that, shall be said when several matters are severally
handled.I mind particularly and
in this order to speak and entreat of these points:first, I will show how earnestly Almighty God in his holy
Word doth exact the doing of almsdeeds of us and how acceptable they be unto
him; secondly, how profitable it is for us to use them and what commodity and
fruit they will bring unto us; thirdly and lastly, I will show out of God's
word that whoso is liberal to the poor and relieveth them plenteously shall
notwithstanding have sufficient for himself and evermore be without danger of
penury and scarcity.

Concerning the first, which is the acceptation
and dignity, or price, of almsdeeds before God:know this, that to help and succour the poor in their need
and misery pleaseth God so much that as the holy scripture in sundry places
recordeth, nothing can be more thankfully taken or accepted of God.For first we read that Almighty God
doth account that to be given and to be bestowed upon himself, that is bestowed
upon the poor.For so doth the
Holy Ghost testify unto us by the Wise Man, saying, "He that hath pity
upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord himself" (Proverbs 19.17).And Christ in the Gospel avoucheth and
as a most certain truth bindeth it with an oath that the alms bestowed upon the
poor was bestowed upon him and so shall be reckoned at the last day.

For thus he saith to the charitable
almsgivers when he sitteth as judge in the doom to give sentence of every man
according to his deserts:"Verily I say unto you, whatsoever good and merciful deed ye did
upon any of the least of these my brethren, ye did the same unto me"
(Matthew 25.40).In relieving
their hunger, ye relieved mine; in quenching their thirst, ye quenched mine; in
clothing them, ye clothed me; and when ye harboured them, ye lodged me also;
when ye visited them being sick in prison, ye visited me.For as he that hath received a princes
ambassadors and entertaineth them well doth honour the prince from whom those
ambassadors do come, so he that receiveth the poor and needy and helpeth them
in their affliction and distress doth thereby receive and honour Christ their Master,
who as he was poor and needy himself whiles he lived here amongst us to work
the mystery of our salvation, at his departure hence he promised in his stead
to send unto us those that were poor, by whose means his absence should be
supplied.And therefore that we
would do unto him, we must do unto them.

And for this cause doth the Almighty God
say unto Moses, "The land wherein ye dwell shall never be without poor
men, because he would have continual trial of his people" (Deuteronomy
15.11), whether they loved him or no, that in showing themselves obedient unto
his will, they might certainly assure themselves of his love and favour towards
them.And nothing doubt but that
as his law and ordinance, wherein he commanded them that they should open their
hand unto their brethren that were poor and needy in the land, were accepted of
them and willingly performed, so he would on his part lovingly accept them and
truly perform his promises that he had made unto them.

The holy apostles and disciples of
Christ, who by reason of his daily conversation, saw by his deeds and heard in
his doctrine how much he tendered the poor; the godly fathers also that were
both before and since Christ endued without doubt with the Holy Ghost and most
certainly certified of God's holy Will, they both do most earnestly exhort us
and in all their writings almost continually admonish us that we would remember
the poor and bestow our charitable alms upon them.

St. Paul crieth unto us after this sort,
"Comfort the feeble minded, lift up the weak, and be charitable towards
all men" (1 Thessalonians 5.14).And again, "To do good to the poor and to distribute alms gladly,
see that thou do not forget; for with such sacrifices God is pleased"
(Hebrews 13.16).Esay the prophet
teacheth on this wise, "Deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor
wandering, home to thy house.When
thou seest the naked, see thou cloth him and hide not thy face from thy poor
neighbour, neither despise thou thine own flesh" (Isaiah 58.7).And the holy father Toby giveth this
counsel, "Give alms", saith he, "of thine own goods and turn
never thy face from the poor; eat thy bread with the hungry and cover the naked
with thy clothes" (Tobit 4.7, 16).And the learned and godly Doctor Chrysostom giveth this admonition,
"Let merciful alms be always with us as a garment; that is, as mindful as
we will be to put our garments upon us, to cover our nakedness, to defend us
from the cold, and to show ourselves comely" (Chrysostom, Ad Pop.
Antio. hom.).So mindful let us be at all times and seasons, that we give alms to the
poor and show ourselves merciful towards them.

But what mean these often admonitions and
earnest exhortations of the prophets,apostles, fathers, and holy doctors?Surely, as they were faithful to God-ward and therefore
discharged their duty truly in telling us what was God's will, so of a singular
love to us-ward they laboured not only to inform us, but also to persuade with
us that to give alms and to succour the poor and needy was a very acceptable
thing and an high sacrifice to God wherein he greatly delighted and had a
singular pleasure.For so doth the
Wise Man the son of Sira teach us, saying, "Whoso is merciful and giveth alms,
he offereth the right thank-offering" (Ecclesiasticus 35.1, 4, 6-7).And he addeth thereunto: "The
right thank-offering maketh the altar fat, and a sweet smell it is before the
Highest; it is acceptable before God and shall never be forgotten" (vv. 8-9).

And the truth of this doctrine is
verified by the example of those holy and charitable fathers of whom we read in
the scriptures that they were given to merciful compassion towards the poor and
charitable relieving of their necessities.Such a one was Abraham in whom God had so great pleasure
that he vouchsafed to come unto him in form of an angel and to be entertained
of him at his house.Such was his
kinsman Lot, whom God so favoured for receiving his messengers into his house,
which otherwise should have lien in the street, that he saved him with his
whole family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha.Such were the holy fathers Iob and
Toby, with many others, who felt most sensible proofs of God's special love
towards them.And as all these by
their mercifulness and tender compassion which they showed to the miserable
afflicted members of Christ in the relieving, helping, and succouring them with
their temporal goods in this life, obtained God's favour and were dear,
acceptable and pleasant in his sight.So now they themselves take pleasure in the fruition of God, in the
pleasant joys of heaven, and are also in God's eternal word set before us as
perfect examples ever before our eyes, both how we shall please God in this
mortal life and also how we may come to live in joy with them in everlasting
pleasure and felicity.

For most true is that saying which
Augustin hath that the giving of alms and relieving of the poor, is the right
way to heaven, (Via cœli pauper), "The poor
man", saith he, "is the way to heaven".They used in times past to set in
highways' sides the picture of Mercury pointing with his finger which was the
right way to the town.And we use
in crossways to set up a wooden or stone cross, to admonish the travailing man
which way he must turn when he cometh thither, to direct his journey
aright.But God's word, as St.
Augustin saith, hath set in the way to heaven the poor man and his house, so
that whoso will go aright thither and not turn out of the way must go by the
poor.The poor man is that Mercury
that shall set us the ready way; and if we look well to this mark, we shall not
wander much out of the right path.The manner of wise, worldly men amongst us is that if they know a man of
a meaner estate than themselves to be in favour with the prince or any other
nobleman whom they either fear or love, such a one they will be glad to benefit
and pleasure that when they have need they may become their spokesman, either to
obtain a commodity or to escape a displeasure.

Now surely it ought to be a shame to us
that worldly men for temporal things that last but for a season should be more
wise and provident in procuring them than we in heavenly.Our Saviour Christ testifieth of poor
men, that they are dear unto him and that he loveth them especially; for he
calleth them his "little ones", by a name of tender love he saith
they be his brethren.And St.
James saith that God hath chosen them to be the heirs of his kingdom;
"Hath not God", saith he "chosen the poor of this world to
himself to make them hereafter the rich heirs of that kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him" (James 2.5)?And we know that the prayer which they make for us shall be
acceptable and regarded of God, their complaint shall be heard also.

Thereof doth Jesus the son of Sira
certainly assure us, saying, "If the poor complain of thee in the
bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard; even he that made him shall
hear him" (Ecclesiasticus 4.5-6).Be courteous therefore unto the poor.We know also that he who acknowledgeth himself to be their
master and patron and refuseth not to take them for his servants is both able
to pleasure and displeasure us, and that we stand every hour in need of his
help.Why should we then be either
negligent or unwilling to procure their friendship and favour by the which also
we may be assured to get his favour that is both able and willing to do us all
pleasures that are for our commodity and wealth?Christ doth declare by this how much he accepteth our
charitable affection toward the poor in that he promiseth a reward unto them
that give but a cup of cold water in his name to them that have need thereof,
and that reward is the kingdom of heaven.

No doubt is it therefore that God
regardeth highly that which he rewardeth so liberally.For he that promiseth a princely
recompense for a beggarly benevolence declareth that he is more delighted with
the giving than with the gift, and that he as much esteemeth the doing of the
thing as the fruit and commodity that cometh of it.Whoso therefore hath hitherto neglected to give alms, let
him know that God now requireth it of him; and he that hath been liberal to the
poor, let him know that his godly doings are accepted and thankfully taken at
God's hands which he will requite with double and treble.For so saith the wise man, "He
which showeth mercy to the poor, doth lay his money in bank to the Lord for a
large interest and gain", the gain being chiefly the possession of the
life everlasting through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom with
the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory forever.Amen.

THE SECOND PART OF THE HOMILY

OF ALMSDEEDS.

How Profitable It is to Give Alms.

Y

E HAVE heard before, dearly beloved, that
to give alms unto the poor and to help them in time of necessity is so
acceptable unto our Saviour Christ that he counteth that to be done to himself,
that we do for his sake unto them.Ye have heard also how earnestly both the apostles, Prophets, holy
fathers, and Doctors, do exhort us unto the same.And ye see how well beloved and dear unto God they were,
whom the scriptures report unto us to have been good almsmen.Wherefore if either their good
examples, or the wholesome counsel of godly fathers, or the love of Christ
whose especial favour we may be assured by this means to obtain may move us or
do any thing at all with us, let us provide us that henceforth we show unto
God-ward this thankful service, to be mindful and ready to help them that be
poor and in misery.

Now will I this second time that I
entreat of almsdeeds show unto you how profitable it is for us to exercise them
and what fruit thereby shall arise unto us, if we do them faithfully.Our Saviour Christ in the Gospel
teacheth us that it profiteth a man nothing to have in possession all the riches
of the whole world, and the wealth or glory thereof, if in the mean season he
lose his soul or do that thing whereby it should become captive unto death,
sin, and hellfire.By the which
saying, he not only instructeth us how much the soul's health is to be
preferred before worldly commodities, but it also serveth to stir up our minds
and to prick us forwards to seek diligently and learn by what means we may
preserve and keep our souls ever in safety.That is, how we may recover our health if it be lost or
impaired, and how it may be defended and maintained if once we have it.

Yea, he teacheth us also thereby to
esteem that as a precious medicine and an inestimable jewel that hath such
strength and virtue in it, that can either procure or preserve so incomparable
a treasure.For if we greatly
regard that medicine or salve that is able to heal sundry and grievous diseases
of the body, much more will we esteem that which hath like power over the
soul.And because we might be
better assured both to know and to have in readiness that so profitable a
remedy, he, as a most faithful and loving Teacher, showeth himself both what it
is and where we may find it, and how we may use and apply it.For when both he and his disciples were
grievously accused of the Pharisees to have defiled their souls in breaking the
constitutions of the elders because they went to meat and washed not their
hands before according to the custom of the Jews, Christ, answering their
superstitious complaint, teacheth them an especial remedy how to keep clean
their souls, notwithstanding the breach of such superstitious orders:"Give alms", saith he
"and behold all things are clean unto you" (Luke 11.41).He teacheth them, that to be merciful
and charitable in helping the poor is the means to keep the soul pure and clean
in the sight of God.

We are taught therefore by this that
merciful alms dealing is profitable to purge the soul from the infection and
filthy spots or sin.The same
lesson doth the Holy Ghost also teach in sundry places of the scripture,
saying, "Mercifulness and alms giving purgeth from all sins, and
delivereth from death, and suffereth not the soul to come into darkness"
(Tobit 4.10).A great confidence
may they have before the high God that show mercy and compassion to them that
are afflicted.The wise preacher,
the son of Sira confirmeth the same when he saith, "That as water
quencheth burning fire, even so mercy and alms resisteth and reconcileth
sins" (Ecclesiasticus 3.30).And sure it is that mercifulness quaileth the heat of sin so much, that
they shall not take hold upon man to hurt him, or if ye have by any infirmity
or weakness been touched and annoyed with them, straightways shall mercifulness
wipe and wash away, as salves and remedies to heal their sores and grievous
diseases.And thereupon that holy
Father Cyprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the merciful work of
giving alms and helping the poor, and there he admonisheth to consider how
wholesome and profitable it is to relieve the needy, and help the afflicted, by
the which we may purge our sins, and heal our wounded souls.

But yet some will say unto me, "If alms-giving
and our charitable works towards the poor be able to wash away sins, to
reconcile us to God, to deliver us from the peril of damnation, and make us the
sons and heirs of God's kingdom, then are Christ's merits defaced, and his
blood shed in vain; then are we justified by works and by our deeds may we
merit heaven; then do we in vain believe that Christ died for to put away our
sins, and that he rose for our justification, as St. Paul teacheth?"But ye shall understand, dearly
beloved, that neither those places of the scripture before alleged, neither the
doctrine of the blessed martyr Cyprian, neither any other godly and learned
man, when they in extolling the dignity, profit, fruit, and effect of virtuous
and liberal alms do say that it washeth away sins and bringeth us to the favour
of God, do mean that our work and charitable deed is the original cause of our
acceptation before God, or that for the dignity or worthiness thereof our sins
may be washed away and we purged and cleansed of all the spots of our
iniquity.For that were indeed to
deface Christ and to defraud him of his glory.

But they mean this, and this is the
understanding of those and such like sayings, that God of his mercy and special
favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting salvation, hath so
offered his grace especially and they have so received it fruitfully, that
although by reason of their sinful living outwardly they seemed before to have
been the children of wrath and perdition, yet now the Spirit of God mightily
working in them unto obedience to God's will and commandments, they declare by
their outward deeds and life, in the showing of mercy and charity (which cannot
come but of the spirit of God and his especial grace) that they are the
undoubted children of God, appointed to everlasting life.And so, as by their wickedness and
ungodly living they showed themselves according to the judgement of men (which
follow the outward appearance), to be reprobates and castaways, so now by their
obedience unto God's holy Will and by their mercifulness and tender pity
(wherein they show themselves to be like unto God who is the fountain and
spring of all mercy), they declare openly and manifestly unto the sight of men
that they are the sons of God and elect of him unto salvation.

For as the good fruit is not the cause
that the tree is good but the tree must first be good before it can bring forth
good fruit, so the good deeds of man are not the cause that maketh men good;
but he is first made good by the spirit and grace of God that effectually
worketh in him and afterward he bringeth forth good fruits.And then as the good fruit doth argue
the goodness of the tree, so doth the good and merciful deed of the man argue
and certainly prove the goodness of him that doth it, according to Christ's
sayings:"Ye shall know them
by their fruits" (Matthew 7.16).And if any man will object that evil and naughty men do sometimes by
their deeds appear to be very godly and virtuous, I will answer, "So doth
the crab- and choke-pear seem outwardly to have sometime as fair a red and as
mellow a colour, as the fruit that is good indeed.But he that will bite and take a taste shall easily judge
betwixt the sour bitterness of the one and the sweet savouriness of the
other".And as the true
Christian man, in thankfulness of his heart for the redemption of his soul
purchased by Christ's death, showeth kindly by the fruit of his faith his
obedience to God, so the other as a merchant with God doth all for his own
gain, thinking to win heaven by the merit of his works and so defaceth and
obscureth the price of Christ's blood, who only wrought our purgation.

The meaning then of these sayings in the
scriptures and other holy writings:"Almsdeeds do wash away our sins" (Tobit 12.9, Ecclesiasticus
3.30), and "mercy to the poor doth blot out our offences" (Daniel
4.27), is that we doing these things according to God's will and our duty have
our sins indeed washed away and our offences blotted out, not for the
worthiness of them, but by the grace of God which worketh all in all; and that
for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient unto his
commandment, that he which is the truth, might be justified in performing the
truth, due to his true promise.Almsdeeds do wash away our sins because God doth vouchsafe then to
repute us as clean and pure when we do them for his sake and not because they
deserve or merit our purging, or for that they have any such strength and
virtue in themselves.

I know that some men, too much addict to
the advancing of their works, will not be contented with this answer; and no
marvel, for such men can no answer content or suffice.Wherefore leaving them to their own
wilful sense, we will rather have regard to the reasonable and godly, who as
they most certainly know and persuade themselves that all goodness, all bounty,
all mercy, all benefits, all forgiveness of sins, and whatsoever can be named
good and profitable, either for the body or for the soul, do come only of God's
mercy and mere favour and not of themselves.So though they do never so many and so excellent good deeds,
yet are they never puffed up with the vain confidence of them.And though they hear and read in God's
word and otherwhere in godly men's works that almsdeeds, mercy, and
charitableness do wash away sin and blot out iniquity, yet do they not
arrogantly and proudly stick and trust unto them or brag themselves of them, as
the proud Pharisee did, lest with the Pharisee they should be condemned.But rather with the humble and poor
publican confess themselves sinful wretches, unworthy to look up to heaven,
calling and craving for mercy, that with the publican they may be pronounced of
Christ to be justified.The godly
do learn that when the scriptures say that by good and merciful works we are
reconciled to God's favour, we are taught then to know what Christ by his
intercession and mediation obtaineth for us of his Father when we be obedient to
his will.Yea, they learn in such
manner of speaking a comfortable argument of God's singular favour and love
that attributeth that unto us and to our doings, that he by his Spirit worketh
in us and through his grace procureth for us.

And yet this notwithstanding, they cry
out with St. Paul, "Oh wretches that we are", and acknowledge, as
Christ teacheth, that when they have all done, they are but unprofitable
servants; and with the blessed king David in respect of the just judgements of
God, they do tremble and say, "Who shall be able to abide it, Lord, if
thou wilt give sentence according to our deserts" (Psalms 1.5, 28.4,
130.3)?Thus they humble
themselves and are exalted of God; they count themselves vile, and of God are
counted pure and clean; they condemn themselves, and are justified of God; they
think themselves unworthy of the earth and of God are thought worthy of
heaven.Thus by God's word are
they truly taught how to think rightly of merciful dealing of alms, and of
God's especial mercy and goodness are made partakers of those fruits that his
word hath promised.

Let us then follow their examples, and
both show obediently in our life those works of mercy that we are commanded,
and have that right opinion and judgement of them that we are taught; and we
shall in like manner, as they, be made partakers and feel the fruits and
rewards that follow such godly living.So shall we know by proof what profit and commodity do come of giving of
alms and succouring of the poor.

THE THIRD PART OF THE HOMILY

of ALMSDEEDS.

He that Freely Giveth Shall Not Bein Danger of Penury and Scarcity.

Y

E HAVE already heard two parts of this
treatise of almsdeeds.The first,
how pleasant and acceptable before God the doing of them is; the second, how
much it behooveth us and how profitable it is to apply ourselves unto
them.Now in the third part will I
take away that let that hindereth many from doing them.There be many, that when they hear how
acceptable a thing in the sight of God the giving of alms is and how much God
extendeth his favour towards them that are merciful and what fruits and
commodities doth come to them by it, they wish very gladly with themselves that
they also might obtain these benefits and be counted such of God as whom he
would love or do for.But yet
these men are with greedy covetousness so pulled back that they will not bestow
one halfpenny or one piece of bread that they might be thought worthy of God's
benefits and so to come into his favour.

For they are evermore fearful and
doubting, lest by often giving, although it were but a little at a time, they
should consume their goods and so impoverish themselves that even themselves at
the length should not be able to live, but should be driven to beg and live of
other men's alms.And thus they
seek excuses to withhold themselves from the favour of God, and choose with
pinching covetousness rather to lean unto the devil than by charitable
mercifulness, either to come unto Christ or to suffer Christ to come unto
them.Oh that we had some cunning
and skilful Physician that were able to purge them of this so pestilent an
humour that so sore infecteth not their bodies, but their minds, and so by
corrupting their souls bringeth their bodies and souls into danger of
hellfire.

Now lest there be any such among us,
dearly beloved, let us diligently search for that Physician, which is Jesus
Christ, and earnestly labour that of his mercy he will truly instruct us and
give us a present remedy against so perilous a disease.Hearken then, whosoever thou art that
fearest lest by giving to the poor, thou shouldst bring thyself to
beggary.That which thou takest
from thyself to bestow upon Christ can never be consumed and wasted away.Wherein thou shalt not believe me but
if thou have faith and be a true Christian, believe the Holy Ghost and give
credit to the authority of God's word that thus teacheth.For thus saith the Holy Ghost by
Salomon:"He that giveth unto
the poor shall never want" (Proverbs 28.27).

Men suppose that by hoarding and laying
up still, they shall at length be rich and that by distributing and laying out,
although it be for most necessary and godly uses, they shall be brought to
poverty.But the Holy Ghost which
knoweth all truth teacheth us another lesson contrary to this.He teacheth us that there is a kind of
dispending that shall never diminish the stock, and a kind of saving that shall
bring a man to extreme poverty.For where he saith that the good almsman shall never have scarcity, he
addeth; but he that turneth away his eyes from such as be in necessity shall
suffer great poverty himself.How
far different then is the judgement of man from the judgement of the Holy
Ghost?The holy apostle Paul, a man
full of the Holy Ghost and made privy even of the secret will of God teacheth
that the liberal almsgiver shall not thereby be impoverished."He that ministereth", saith
he, "seed unto the sower will minister also bread unto you for food; yea,
he will multiply your seed and increase the fruits of your righteousness"
(2 Corinthians 9.10).

He is not content to advertise them that
they shall not lack, but he showeth them also in what sort God will provide for
them.Even as he provided seed for
the sower in multiplying it and giving great increase, so he will multiply
their goods and increase them that there shall be great abundance.And lest we should think his sayings to
be but words and not truth, we have an example thereof in the third Book of
Kings which doth confirm and seal it up as a most certain truth.The poor widow that received the
banished prophet of God Elias [Elijah], when as she had but a handful of meal
in a vessel and a little oil in a cruse, whereof she would make a cake for
herself and her son, that after they had eaten that they might die, because in
that great famine there was no more food to be gotten.Yet when she gave part thereof to Elias
and defrauded her own hungry belly mercifully to relieve him, she was so
blessed of God that neither the meal nor the oil was consumed all the time
while that famine did last, but thereof both the prophet Elias, she, and her
son were sufficiently nourished and had enough (1 Kings 17.8-16).

Oh, consider this example, ye unbelieving
and faithless covetous persons who discredit God's word and think his power
diminished!This poor woman in the
time of an extreme and long dearth had but one handful of meal and a little
cruse of oil, her only son was ready to perish before her face for hunger, and
she herself like to pine away; and yet when the poor prophet came and asked
part, she was so mindful of mercifulness that she forgot her own misery.And rather than she would omit the
occasion given to give alms and work a work of righteousness, she was content
presently to hazard her own and her son's lives.And ye — who have great plenty of meats and drinks,
great store of moth-eaten apparel, yea, many of you great heaps of gold and
silver, and he that hath least hath more than sufficient, now in this time when
(thanks be to God) no great famine doth oppress you, your children being well
clothed and well fed, and no danger of death for famine to be feared —
will rather cast doubts and perils of unlikely penury than ye will part with
any piece of your superfluities to help and succour the poor, hungry, and naked
Christ that cometh to your doors abegging.

This poor and silly widow never cast
doubts in all her misery what wants she herself should have, she never
distrusted the promise that God made to her by the prophet, but straightway
went about to relieve the hungry prophet of God, yea, preferring his necessity
before her own.But we like
unbelieving wretches, before we will give one mite, we will cast a thousand
doubts of danger, whether that will stand us in any stead that we give to the
poor, whether we should not have need of it at any other time, and whether here
it would not have been more profitably bestowed.So that it is more hard to wrench a strong nail (as the
proverb saith) out of a post, than to wring a farthing out of our fingers.There is neither the fear nor the love
of God before our eyes, we will more esteem a mite than we either desire God's
kingdom or fear the devil's dungeon.Hearken therefore, ye merciless misers, what will be the end of this
your unmerciful dealing.

As certainly as God nourished this poor
widow in the time of famine and increased her little store so that she had
enough and felt no penury when other pined away, so certainly shall God plague
you with poverty in the midst of plenty.Then when other have abundance and be fed at full, ye shall utterly
waste and consume away yourselves, your store shall be destroyed, your goods
plucked from you, all your glory and wealth shall perish; and that which when
ye had ye might have enjoyed yourselves in peace and might have bestowed upon
other most godly, ye shall seek with sorrow and sighs and nowhere shall find
it.For your unmercifulness
towards other, ye shall find no man that will show mercy towards you.Ye that had stony hearts towards other
shall find all the creatures of God to you-ward as hard as brass and iron.Alas, what fury and madness doth
possess our minds that in a matter of truth and certainty, we will not give
credit to the truth, testifying unto that which is most certain.Christ saith that if we will first seek
the kingdom of God, and do the works of righteousness thereof, we shall not be
left destitute, all other things shall be given to us plenteously (Matthew
6.33)."Nay," say we,
"I will first look that I be able to live myself and be sure that I have
enough for me and mine and if I have any thing over, I will bestow it to get
God's favour and the poor shall then have part with me".

See, I pray you, the perverse judgement
of men; we have more care to nourish the carcass than we have fear to see our
soul perish.And as Cyprian saith,
"Whiles we stand in doubt lest our goods fail in being over liberal, we put
it out of doubt that our life and health faileth in not being liberal at
all" (Cyprian, Sermon. "De Eleemosina").Whiles we are careful for diminishing
of our stock, we are altogether careless to diminish ourselves.We love Mammon and lose our souls.We fear lest our patrimony should
perish from us, but we fear not lest we should perish for it.Thus do we perversely love that which
we should hate, and hate that we should love; we be negligent where we should
be careful, and careful where we need not.Thus vain fear to lack ourselves if we give to the poor is
much like the fear of children and fools, which when they see the bright
glimmering of a glass, they do imagine straightway that it is the lightning,
and yet the brightness of a glass never was the lightning.

Even so, when we imagine that by spending
upon the poor a man may come to poverty, we are cast into a vain fear; for we
never heard or knew that by that means any man came to misery and was left
destitute and not considered of God.Nay we read to the contrary in the scripture (as I have before showed,
and as by infinite testimonies and examples may be proved) that whosoever
serveth God faithfully and unfeignedly in any vocation, God will not suffer him
to decay, much less to perish.The
Holy Ghost teacheth us by Salomon that the Lord will not suffer the soul of the
righteous to perish for hunger (Proverbs 10.3).And therefore David saith unto all them that are merciful:"O fear the Lord, ye that be his
saints, for they that fear him lack nothing" (Psalm 34.1).

The lions do lack and suffer hunger, but
they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good.When Elias [Elijah] was in the desert,
God fed him by the ministry of a raven, that evening and morning brought him
sufficient victuals (1 Kings 17.4-6).When Daniel was shut up in the lions' den, God prepared meat for him and
sent it thither to him.And there
was the saying of David fulfilled, "The Lions do lack and suffer hunger,
but they which seek the Lord shall want no good thing" (Psalm 34.10).For while the lions, which should have
been fed with his flesh, roared for hunger and desire of their prey whereof
they had no power although it were present before them, he in the meantime was
fresh fed from God that should with his flesh have filled the lions.So mightily doth God work to preserve
and maintain those whom he loveth, so careful is he also to feed them who in
any state or vocation do unfeignedly serve him.

And shall we now think that he will be
unmindful of us, if we be obedient to his Word and according to his Will have
pity on the poor?He giveth us all
wealth before we do any service for it; and will he see us lack necessaries
when we do him true service?Can a
man think that he that feedeth Christ can be forsaken of Christ and left
without food?Or will Christ deny
earthly things unto them whom he promiseth heavenly things for his true
service?It cannot be therefore,
dear brethren, that by giving of alms we should at any time want ourselves, or
that we which relieve other men's need should ourselves be oppressed with
penury.It is contrary to God's
word, it repugneth with his promise, it is against Christ's property and nature
to suffer it, it is the crafty surmise of the devil to persuade us it.

Wherefore stick not to give alms freely,
and trust notwithstanding that God's goodness will minister unto us sufficiency
and plenty so long as we shall live in this transitory life.And after our days here well spent in
his service and the love of our brethren, we shall be crowned with everlasting
glory to reign with Christ our Saviour in heaven; to whom with the Father and
the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory forever.Amen.

All Saints AnglicanAll Saints’ Church Greenville, SC REC Reformed Episcopal ACNA Anglican Church in North America Parish 1928 BCP 1928 Book of Common Prayer